Today, the Supreme Court denied the Trump administration’s request for an expedited judicial appeal, in an attempt to bypass the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals while appealing a lower Federal District Court’s ruling that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program must continue to accept renewal applications during the appeals process. What it means is that the Supreme Court wants DACA to wind its way through the legal process before tackling this issue. We predict that it will take at least 1.5 years to go through. By then, we hope that Congress will get a comprehensive Immigration bill passed. Until such time, the Citizenship and Immigration Service will continue to accept and approve DACA application.

Last September, President Trump originally ordered DACA to end on March 5, 2018, but on January 10, 2018, California Federal District Judge William Alsup temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s efforts to end DACA, and ordered the administration to resume receiving DACA renewal applications.

Now, if President Trump wishes to continue its appeal of Judge Alsup’s ruling, it must first file an appeal with Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, traditionally a liberal leaning court that is likely to deny Trump’s appeal. Once that denial is issued, then President Trump may resume its appeal to the Supreme Court. However, even then, the Supreme Court is under no obligation to grant certiori, meaning it would agree to hear the Trump administration’s appeal. All these appeal steps will take time, from a year to a year and a half.

While these sets of appeals are taking place, the lower court ruling by Judge Alsup forcing the Department of Homeland Security to continue to accept DACA renewals still stands. Thus, DACA recipients (“Dreamers”) can continue to renew their work permits under DACA. More importantly, it buys time for Congress and the President to hopefully find a resolution to allow the nearly 700.000 Dreamers to permanently remain in the United States.